As the prevalence of mental health issues increases and affects an ever larger number of our friends and family, it becomes essential that we create spaces for folks to talk about how they overcame or persisted despite mental health challenges. Here, we’ve tried to create a safe space for people to come together and discuss their stories, experiences, triumphs and failures with managing their mental health issues.
Jas Joya
I really love this question because it serves as a reminder of how far I’ve come in life. It was a point in my life when I hit rock bottom. My mental health significantly declined as I battled with depression and suicide attempts. How I overcame that was with God. He came to me in a small yet still voice as I was ready to end my life for the final time. At that moment, hearing God’s voice snapped me to the realization of the fact that I was progressively getting worse and that the life I was living was going to end. Read more>>
Sarah Evans
I was diagnosed with Bipolar Depression in 2019 following the heartbreaking loss of my daughter, Marley, who was stillborn. For a long time, I turned to alcohol, thinking it would help me cope, but I soon realized it only numbed the pain without addressing it. One day, my mom gifted me a large box of broken candles, which I decided to repurpose in new containers. That’s when I discovered peace in lighting a candle. I began setting aside time to sit in silence, savoring the soothing aromas. Read more>>
Angel Wang
For most of my life, I felt like an alien, dressed in a human suit and pretending that I existed. Ever since my childhood, I have felt very different from others. Not just because I grew up in a dysfunctional and disconsolate family, but also because I feel fundamentally different from everyone else. I can’t explain why, or articulate my feelings properly, so I turn my frustration and despair into art. I use art as a medium to express myself, and sometimes as a documentation of my emotions, anxiety, depression, trauma, and pain; because all those internal processes and feelings are difficult to express through words, creating artworks can help bring those out of the subconscious into something visible. Read more>>
Shae Pepper
Unbeknownst to me until about 15 years ago, I’ve struggled with the signs and symptoms of anxiety and depression my whole life. They became overwhelming in my early 20s when I moved to England as a newlywed and tried to navigate all that moving to a new country, being with a new partner and new family, while also securing a new job and home would entail. My life felt impossible to navigate during that time, and looking back, I wish I had someone to support me through my mental health journey, as I try to do with others now – by living unashamedly and openly with my mental health challenges and sharing my experiences with others. Read more>>
Caroline Perkins
When I first left for college, a lot changed back home in my family. I was so far away from everything happening and I was in a brand new city where I didn’t know anyone. I struggled a lot to create work for assignments because I felt like I had lost my sense of self and who I was creatively. I started going to therapy and I found an amazing therapist that helped me work through these changes and communicate my feeling through my work. My photography and printmaking focus on nostalgia for my youth and animal rights, as well as the feelings of loss, hopelessness, and finding the beauty in things that seem like they are falling apart. It has been so therapeutic to be able to rediscover my voice creatively because it can be hard for me sometimes to put those feeling into words. Read more>>
Mira Scirica
For me personally I find that my journey with mental health has been a long battle to get where I am today. I have struggled with my mental health on and off over the years and consider myself to be very open about my journey with mental health from issues ranging from addiction to OCD and trauma. I find it to be more helpful to myself and others to be candid in nature to break the stigma around these topics. When you are open about it, there becomes a better level of understanding for others and in my experience can help others feel less alone in their own struggles. Read more>>
Olivia Helms
I have come to recognize that I have had depression and anxiety for about half of my life. Despite these many years, I have only been diagnosed with depression for about a month. Overcoming my mental health struggles had to do with me accepting that I had them in the first place. Growing up, showing any ounce of sadness was considered to be weak. By shedding tears, I was also naturally conforming to my biological nature. I never wanted to be seen as something weak or pitiful. I never wanted to be that type of girl or woman; I wanted to be strong. To be strong would mean that I had to suppress all my negative emotional feelings. Read more>>
Brenna Benjamin
I’veI struggled with depression and anxiety for my entire life, and I am fairly confident I deal with undiagnosed ADD/ADHD. When I was 18-19 I went through a pretty severe mental health crisis due to a quick change in my planned career path as continued education being too expensive for me to pursue. I didn’t realize at the time how easy it was to shift focus; the high school I went to (or at least the teachers I’d had there) had always drilled into us that a 4 year college plan was basically the only good option, making community college and trade schools sound like terrible choices. I was unable to even make it out of bed most days, any type of self care and making it out of the house was a struggle. I also didn’t really understand or appreciate at the time all that my friends and family were doing for me, and definitely didn’t show them enough gratitude for it. Read more>>
Katie Novotny
I have generalized anxiety disorder, depression, PMDD and PCOS and it’s been a challenging couple years (I’ll get into that below). I’ve been going to therapy since 2016 when my Creative Director (shout out Louis), noticed I was struggling at work (an ad agency). “How you doing?” “Not great, Louis. Not great.” He proceeded to explain how therapy had helped him as a creative, and how important it was to be in therapy, especially in a creative field. He said, “Our days are spent pitching ideas and getting told no. That’s our job. And you’re choosing to pursue something creative as your hobby as well. That’s a really hard combo cause when we hear “no” it feels like “not you.” We have to learn how to find self-worth outside of our ideas, in order to stay alive in this business. Best advice I’ve ever gotten. Louis, if you’re out there, thank you. Read more>>
Laura Cepeda
As many people can relate, my mental health declined during the lockdown. The sudden isolation and uncertainty of the future made me develop into a depressive state in which I had panic attacks weekly and a lack of motivation. I started writing more often to process all these feelings and the new reality I was feeling. At first, I just journaled in my notebook, talking about my day and how I felt, but then I noticed that I needed more to express myself. I started writing short stories and poetry, and I noticed how many of them had similar elements that connected them even though they weren’t sequential. That’s how I created my first graphic novel, Essence, in which I explore more deeply my healing process of depression. Read more>>
Alexis Scott
I would be lying if I said it was easy to do. It was quite difficult in the beginning. Initially my support system encouraged me. My friends and family supported me every step of the way. I also began establishing minor goals for myself to boost my confidence. A close friend talked to me about coping methods and doing things that make me happy, and ballooning is something I enjoy doing and provides an opportunity for a positive outlet. I remind myself to be resilient and strong. God’s got you. There’s something bigger in store. Read more>>
Ashley Emerson
I have struggled with depression and since the teen years, even as someone raised in a faith-based and overall warm environment. I never felt comfortable in my skin and was always stuck in my own head. Music and creative writing afforded a way to safely express, process, and wallow (at times). Sharing and exploring life experiences gives you a chance to bless or encourage another person, or other people. We are made to create, and that includes the dark parts of our lives. To answer the question–creating art has given purpose to the pain, and that has really helped me over the years! Read more>>
